Editorial independence
No brand pays for a score. The only thing that moves a rating is the label and the published method.
What we never do
- Take money, free products, gifts or sponsorship from a food brand in exchange for a score, a review or a placement.
- Show advertising from food brands on CleanPlate.
- Use affiliate links of any kind, so we earn nothing when you buy something we rated.
- Change a score at a brand's request unless it shows we misread the label or the method.
How scores are made
Every score comes from the product's label and one fixed method, applied the same way to every product. The method is versioned, and each change is listed on the changelog. A brand cannot buy an exception to it.
What brands can do
If we have misread a label, a brand can send evidence through the dispute form. We check it against the pack or an official source. If we were wrong, we fix the score and publish the change on the corrections log. If we were right, the score stays.
How CleanPlate is funded
CleanPlate is currently funded by its founder. If that changes, whether through paid tools for individuals, grants or other income, we will say so here and explain how it is kept apart from the ratings. Anything that sells to food brands would be a conflict, and we will not do it.
If we find a conflict
If anyone working on CleanPlate has a personal or financial link to a brand we rate, we will say so on that product page and, where we can, have someone else review the score.